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The Tale of Gregory (Part 4)
'What Once Was ' ' ' Preparation- I decided to get some rest before traveling to Blue Point. For all I knew, Tye could be incredibly difficult to talk to. Not only had he abandoned the S.S.C and his own apprentice, but now that the situation had gotten even worse, he might just throw me out into the street. I would have rather stuck with Danson to make sure he was okay, but the risk of meeting Shadow again was just too risky. And so, when morning came, I boarded Zombie and left for Blue Point in hopes that I could track down the one and only Tye... before it was too late. Tye- I had a total of twelve days left before Scythe would make their move. It wasn't long before I reached Blue Point and approached the one mall in the entire town. Needless to say, It actually felt good to go on a mission that didn't risk my own life or the lives of others. One of the biggest issues was that I didn't even know what Tye looked like now. So as a result, I talked to a cashier and asked to speak with him. She complied and told me to go in a small waiting room. As I sat in silence, I wondered if I should tell him the truth... about the S.S.C I mean. Should I really tell Tye what kind of situation we were in? What if he failed to comply? What if my mission ended in failure after all this work? I didn't have too much time to think, because I soon heard footsteps approaching the door and I waited hesitantly. Finally, a tall figure with short and curly hair as well as a welcoming smile entered the room. "I'm the manager of this establishment," the man stated. "What can I d..." Tye suddenly stopped speaking and looked closely at me for a second. "I'm Gregory..." I said trying to ease the tension. "Perhaps you know my dad?" Tye's face suddenly lit up with joy as he shook my hand. "Aha!," he yelled. "I knew you looked familiar! In fact, you look just like your father did when he was your age... except your hair is shorter and a bit darker... you must have gotten that from Samantha. What brings you here?" It was great seeing someone smile again and not take everything so seriously, but I decided to tell Tye the truth about the situation. "The S.S.C... is in some bad shape," I began. "I need information on how to find Brett Blakley so that the S.S.C isn't obliterated in twelve days... I was hoping you could tell me..." As I suspected, Tye's face became that of despair. "My memory isn't what it used to be," Tye said. "But not a day passed where I would forget about the S.S.C... you probably already know how I felt about the scenario the S.S.C has gotten itself into... but that won't stop me from helping you. I'm afraid I do not know where you can find Brett... but Tim Allender lives far north of town. He went to the same college and everything as Brett... if you can find him AND GET HIM TO TALK, you will probably find Brett." Tye took out a piece of paper and drew a small map with directions to Tim's place. "What did you mean when you said get him to talk," I asked. Tye sat down and stared at his feet. Tim has become somewhat of a... hermit now. I've only talked to him once since we left the S.S.C, and he has changed... a lot. He may not want to tell you anything once he learns what is happening... nu don't lie to him. Tim can sense when he is being lied to... it’s probably more of a curse than it is a gift." "You have no idea what’s wrong with him?" I asked. "Not a clue," Tye said honestly. Before we could say anymore, a woman came into the room and began to beckon for Tye. "Looks like it's time for me to go," he said sadly. "By the way, is Travis alright?" I gave him a look of confusion. Tye slapped his forehead in embarrassment. "My bad!" he said. "Travis goes by the name of Commander Spike now." I smiled, "Yes, he is doing fine." Tye grinned and threw me a coupon. "There are plenty more where that came from if you don't die," Tye said jokingly. We both laughed and with that, he began to leave but looked over his shoulder one last time. "Be careful out there... be careful." Tim's House- I left the mall and began my pursuit to Tim's house. On the way, I contacted Luke to tell him where I was... and also to brag a little. My father had always described Tim as being level-headed and easy to get along with. But Tye made it sound as if Tim were some kind of lonely monster. Either way, I HAD to find him in order to get to Brett. For all I knew, maybe Tim and Brett were working together to retrieve the money. Why they would keep it to themselves is what was wrong with that theory. Soon, the houses in Blue Point began to become more and more seldom. According to Tye's map, Tim's house was located next to a farm. He had no neighbors anywhere close by. A small house soon came into my field of vision. No-one was outside and nor were any lights on. But a car in the yard meant that somebody had to be home right? Going on this theory, I parked and slowly approached the house. Tim?- I knocked on the door loudly and gazed around the yard while waiting for a response. After about a minute, there was no answer. I decided to knock again just in case. Upon knocking a second time, the door-knob began to click and the door swung open revealing a figure whose face was hidden by shadows. "What do you want?" the man said irritably. Going by Tye's advice, I decided not to lie. "I'm Gregory," I said. "My father is George... perhaps you know him?" The figure remained in shadows and stood quietly before quickly saying, "yes." The S.S.C is in trouble," I said. "A gang called Scythe is threatening to attack us if we don't supply them with money that they think we stole from them. We have reason to believe that Brett Blakley may know where the money is actually located and point us in the right direction... but no-one knows where he is... I was hoping you could tell me..." I finally got a chance to breath as the figure continued to stand still. Finally, he stepped a bit closer and his face was littered with worry wrinkles. He had dark brown hair and dark eyes to match. "I don't want any part in this," he said suddenly, and proceeded to slam the door shut. A Deal with Negative- I stood back; shocked. I hadn't expected such an answer. "Maybe you don't understand!" I yelled. Scythe has guns! They will KILL us if the money is not supplied! We have less than two weeks to comply! Don't you even care?!" At first there was no reply and I was about to knock once more. But Tim soon shouted from behind the door, "If you were smart you'd quit the S.S.C now!" I was nearly left speechless, had the great Tim Allender just told me to give up... after hearing all this? "They will find us either way!" I yelled back. Tim now replied in a much more controlled tone. "I didn't mean for you to quite in order to save yourself from Scythe... I meant for you to quite in order to save you from yourself." "What’s that supposed to mean?!" I retorted. "Leave now!" Tim ordered aggressively. The sun was setting and I had no more ideas. It was over. Tim was going to be of o help it seemed. I would have to break it to Commander Spike that my plan was a failure... how would he react? How would he react upon realizing we were never going to find the money, and never be freed from these horrors? As I turned around to leave, I suddenly came face-to-face with Negative! He was wearing his white leather jacket and walked closer to me. "Leaving so soon?" he asked. Before I could answer, Negative walked past me and approached the door. Negative knocked hardly and Tim answered in frustration. "I told you to lea..." Tim cut himself off in shock of seeing the masked figure. "You are Tim?" Negative asked. "Yes," Tim responded. "Who are you?" Negative leaned close to Tim and began to whisper in his ear. Tim gave a sudden look of shock and immediately burst opened the door and smiled brightly! "Come in!" Tim said. "Both of you can come in." I as led through Tim's dusty house to a living room with lots of home-made furniture. Tim and Negative spoke in whispers out in the hall, listening was of no use as they soon entered with Tim still smiling. He seemed to look much younger now that he grinned. I realize your need to find Brett," Tim said. "So I will tell you everything you need to know... if you can prove to me that you are a trustworthy soldier who will end this dispute." "How?" I asked worriedly. Tim paused, "You'll fight me." Gregory Vs. Tim- "F-fight you?" I said with surprise. "That’s right," Tim replied. "Negative and I both agree that you need to pass this test to prove that you have what it takes to finish what you've started." Negative silently stood in the corner and nodded at me. Without a response, Tim dug through a box and threw a wooden vest at me. "These training vests are used in spars, put one on. If you can successfully strike me three times in the back, I will tell you where Brett is... if not, then you leave." I began to become annoyed with both Tim and Negative at this point. Didn't they realize what was at steak? Was having this stupid spar really necessary? A thought occurred to me that maybe I was just afraid to spar against the legendary Tim Allender... and I completely agreed with this thought. I had been trained by a multitude of people, but Tim as far out of my league. "Get going," Negative demanded and both me and Tim stood on opposite sides of his practically empty living room. Tim was now in the zone, only focusing on me. Meanwhile, I was still trying to understand what was going on here. Tim suddenly made a swift movement and pushed me back in a single lunge. I nearly fell, but regained my posture and decided to dash at him. Tim was prepared for my attack, and just as he was about to stop me, I slid into his legs and wiped him out on the floor. As I stood, ready to strike his back, Tim kicked upwards and hit my chest. I became woozy just long enough for Tim to hit my back once. He was obviously just toying with me, and that only made me even madder. As Tim stood once more, I managed to get him in a head-lock and knee him in his back. I backed up in utter shock. I had just scored a real hit on Tim Allender! Would anyone even believe me if I told them this? "Not bad kid," Tim stated. But he suddenly flipped me over his back, causing me to land harder than expected on the floor. I looked around for something to use in the fight, but everything here belonged to Tim, I couldn't just mess up his stuff. Tim attempted to reach me, but I rolled out of the way and used all my speed to dash into Tim's side while he was lunging forward. Tim staggered for a moment, and I then dashed at him once more with the utmost confidence. But Tim saw it all coming as he dodged me, causing me to miss him entirely and for him to hit my back once more. I gazed at Negative who watched us intently, almost never moving. With Tim only one hit away from beating me, I had to step it up. So I waited for Tim to dash at me and succeeded in head-butting his stomach. Tim staggered back in sudden pain as I made my way behind him. Suddenly, before I could hit him, Tim leaped across the room and while still in mid-air, pushed himself away from the incoming wall, sending him flying back in my direction! I ducked just in time, but this was exactly what Tim expected. Before I could even realize his plan worked, Tim successfully landed a hit on my back while still in mid-air! I fell forward in defeat as I tried to comprehend the seemingly impossible stunt Tim had just pulled off. Age hadn't slowed him down one bit... either that... or maybe I really wasn't ready. The Real Winner- It soon dawned on me that I had just lost it all. Tim had won fair and square, now, thanks to Negative, I would never find Brett. I was soon greeted by Tim's hand that helped me up. "You're not bad," Tim said with a smile. "I can certainly see some of your father in you. Both in the way you look, and the way you fight. But unfortunately, you still lost, and I have to keep my word to Negative, that you have to go now." As Tim approached the door, showing me the way out, my rage finally broke free. "That's it!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "You're just going to toss me into the street and leave the S.S.C to die?! Do you know how many people looked up to you, how many people COUNTED on you to help us win this?! And you're going to throw that all away just because some masked guy told you so?! Well I've got news for you, Tim, I'm not leaving until you tell me what I want to know, and I don't care if you beat me up in the process or not!" Negative stared at me from the corner as my rage died down. Tim's grin became wider and he looked over to Negative. "Is that good enough for you?" Negative nodded and Tim looked back at me. "Congratulations Gregory, you won." The Fate of Brett- I struggled to understand this sudden change of events. My confusion was so apparent; Tim didn't even wait for a response. "Negative came up with this entire fighting scenario," Tim said. "We needed to be sure that you would not back down on this mission, even when i seemed impossible." I nodded slowly as my anger faded and I shot Negative a nasty glare. "You will thank me for this," Negative murmured. "So... you will tell me about Brett?" I asked. Tim now regained his serious tone as he sat down on his sofa. "Here's the problem Gregory," Tim mumbled. "I... don't know where he is..." I now slouched in both shock and defeat. Before I could speak, Tim continued. "Brett spent nearly his entire childhood fighting THEM and The Brotherhood of Death, as well as boa-loads of bullies." "I'm aware of that," I interrupted. "That's why he is a hero... like you." "Tim now regained his depression. "No," he continued. "This was the problem. Not a day went by when Brett or I didn't have anything to do, we were constantly taking down enemies of all shapes and sizes...it became routine. Brett and I never realized what would happen once the enemies had all fled and when we were too old to continue our work. And that's when it hit us, we had spent so much of our lives fighting... we had nothing else to live for. Your father had Samantha, Tye had a multitude of friends and a caring family, but all we had was fighting..." Tim paused and stared at both Negative and I for a minute, seeing if we had anything to say. He soon continued, "Shortly after Brett and I got into college, Brett came to the conclusion that the only way to continue to do what he loved, was to join the military. I tried to convince him other-wise, but he was too far gone by then. Brett was quickly enrolled and shipped into the battlefields shortly afterwards. It wasn't long before Brett and 16 other troopers were ambushed my multiple attackers while on a scouting mission. Three men were killed, and Brett... Brett was registered "missing in action." I dropped out shortly afterwards, I realized that our drive for fighting had caused all of this... if we had something else to live for, maybe it all wouldn't have happened." Tim slouched down on the sofa and put his head in his hands in defeat. "You can't live life with maybes," I said. "Brett may not have moved on, but what's your excuse?" Tim straightened up as if my words had touched his heart to the core. He reached in a nearby drawer and pulled out a photo for me. I picked it out of his hands only to see Tim and Brett in college, sitting by a statue and posing like a couple of boxers. Suddenly, it occurred to me that these were the same faces I had saw in the repetitive dreams I was having! The two guys were Tim and Brett the whole time! Just before I could wonder any further on how this was possible, Tim stood up with new-found happiness. "Just because Brett's not here, doesn't mean I can't help you." Secrets Revealed?- Tim asked me to explain the entire situation to him and include any detail possible. I told him about the robbery, the missing cash, Negative, Scythe, Big H, Trigger, Shadow, Team Ice, the time-limit, and anything else that came to mind. Tim sat back in his sofa and pondered this for a while. "How strange," Tim mumbled. "What do you mean?" I asked. "It's just that... something about all this seems rather wrong... aha!" Tim nearly fell out of his seat with the thought he had just obtained. "Gregory, you mentioned that most Scythe members not only have guns, but also, tents, food, and some gear... am I correct?" "Yes," I replied anxiously. "Has the thought ever occurred to you of how they are affording all of this?" Tim asked. "Most of these guys have neither homes of jobs, how could they buy such materials?" I stood silently, pondering over such an obvious thing I had missed. "What are you getting at here?" I asked, still in confusion. "I believe that the only way Scythe could manage to afford all this is if they already had all or half of the money!" Tim shouted. "Assuming they do have half, they may believe that the S.S.C has the other... and that is why they are planning on attacking... not for all the money... but for the other half!" Before I could speak, Negative finally moved from his statue-like stance and began to clap. "Excellent work Tim," he said. "You are right, Scythe does indeed have half the money... you are smarter than you appear." This suddenly struck me with a sudden question. "If they believe we have the other half, why don't they just try and take it from us? What’s the point in even giving us a time-limit? They could just attack now." Negative responded only with, "You have someone trying to look after you. But they can only continue to do so if you remain under the radar." Tim now spoke up, "He's right Gregory; make sure that you tell no-one that you talked to Tye or I." "Sure thing," I said. All of a sudden, a thought came rushing to my head like a speeding fist, when it hit me, I nearly screamed. Instead, I staggered back in dis-belief as I realized something terrible. "What is it Gregory?" Tim asked. All I could say was "Danson," before running to my car. Rescuing Danson- I drove like a maniac towards Father Base with sweat pouring down my face and my heart racing. Some of Scythe members had been there when I told Danson about finding Tye. If they figured out that I was an under-cover agent, Danson would be in BIG trouble for unknowingly aiding me. I had to stop my car a couple miles before reaching Father base so that I wouldn't stand out. I then broke into a total sprint as I raced to make sure Danson was alright. When I arrived, I snuck my way in through an unguarded sector and quickly, yet stealth-fully, snuck over to Danson's "house." But I couldn't go in, for inside the building was none other than Danson, who had been tied up and lying in the center of the room. Surrounding him were a dozen Scythe members. Three of which were Big H, Trigger, and Shadow. My heart was beating so loud that I was sure they could hear me. Never-the-less, I watched from a cracked window as Danson was taken by the throat by Trigger. "Where is he?!" Trigger demanded. "I-I haven't seen... h-him," Danson struggled to say. Trigger angrily threw him to the wall and dashed over to Danson in a split second, delivering a harsh blow to the stomach. I covered my mouth in terror and Danson did the same. Never had I seen him look so scared, not even when he was nearly hit by a car. Shadow chimed in, "We know that he told you he was going to Tye's mall, but he has to be gone by now... you MUST know where he is!" "I know nothing," Danson coughed. "I know nothing." Big H stood over Danson and forcibly moved Danson's face so that the two were staring eye-to-eye. "This is your last chance," Big H said calmly. "Tell me now and you shall not be punished." Danson's black-eyes darted quickly around the room and before I knew it, he was staring directly at me. No-one else in the room took notice, and I was too terrified to move. Danson held his gaze a bit longer and Trigger drew out his gun. I cringed as tears flooded my eyes. My legs became numb as did my hands. Before I knew it, I had fallen to the ground. All I could do was listen, and my ears were met with the sound of a gunshot. What’s Worth Fighting For?- As I began to re-gain control of my body, I heard Big H speaking. "Put him in the basement and leave him there, he will be a little present for Gregory." Scythe members filed out of the building, giving me enough time to sneak in through the back entrance and run downstairs. I knew this had to be some kind of trap, but I didn't care. All I cared about was Danson. And there he was, lying still on the floor where his own partners had put him to die. I began to weep softly and somehow through all this, I heard Danson make a small grunt. I ran over to him and carefully rolled him around so he could face me. He looked even worse up-close. Danson had two black-eyes, multiple bruises around the face, and a large cut on his forehead. I nearly shrieked as I saw he had been shot in the chest. I could find no room for words, but Danson managed to speak through his pain. "G-gregory... sorry... ya... h-have to see me like this..." All I could do was cry harder. "Don't feel bad for me Gregory," Danson said. "I knew... the... r-risk when I first met y-you... I always had a feeling you were an S.S.C member." "Why didn't you tell anyone then?" I asked sheepishly. Danson began to whimper in pain. "The plain fact is... I don't agree with what Scythe has become... I- I joined Scythe because they promised to give me food, shelter, and friends when I had n-none... But... the d-day that they robbed that bank and waged war on you guys, I... I... wasn't sure what to believe in anymore." I began to put pressure on Danson's wound, but he just moved my hand lightly away. "Besides, I l-lied... to you too." Danson struggled to say. "On the day of the robbery, I wasn't l-late... I... didn't show up... because... b-because I was... scared." I didn't even try to talk at this point; my mind was racing with too much emotion to comprehend. "S-so I guess we're b-both liars," Danson said with a short laugh. "But you Gregory... y-you can be forgiven... G-gregory... don't make the same mistake I d-did... don't f-fight for a c-c....cause you don't believe in..." Danson's body soon fell limp and his breathing suddenly ceased as all I could do was sit and watch. With tears in my eyes, I gave Danson a pat on the back and only then did I hear the Scythe members coming back in! New Plans- With haste, I made my way to a large pile of wood stacked against the wall and quickly covered myself so that they wouldn't spot me. It was hard to try and not sob or breathe heavily, but I remained quiet as they came downstairs. "He's dead," one member said with no emotion. "Serves him right for betraying us," Trigger replied as he had five others circled the room. "We have yet to figure out who gave him information on where to find Tye in the first place," one member said. I breathed a short sigh of relief, at least Devin was okay. "Keep up the search," said Big H. "It doesn't look like he's here, Gregory must not have fallen for our trap... so how else are we going to get'em?" The room was silent as I held my breath for what seemed like five minutes. Shadow finally spoke up, "The only logical explanation for visiting Tye would be so that he could find Tim or Brett," he guessed. "Although we don't know where Brett is, I am aware of Tim's location... I could... reason with him." No-one answered and one Scythe member came dangerously close to my hiding spot before backing away. "Alright Shadow," Big H said. "Do what needs to be done." With that, Shadow called to some of his "hounds" and made his way out, with Big H and Trigger not far behind. I became un-able to move again as I was too scared to leave my hiding spot. But if Shadow found Tim, it wouldn't matter how much experience Tim had, Shadow still had guns and back-up. The only way I could stop them from hurting Tim was to beat them there. So with all the strength I could muster, I once more snuck out of Father Base and sprinted to my car. Tim's life was now in my hands. Danger- While driving, I simultaneously called up Spike who immediately recognized my fear. "What's wrong?" he asked. "What has happened?" I wasted no time, "Scythe has figured out I am a spy, they are heading after Tim to silence him!" "Where are you?!" Spike yelled in fear. "I am driving over there," I replied. All was silent as Spike paused and talked to someone. "I have alerted the S.S.C members," he said quickly. "We are ready if they attempt an attack... Gregory, are you sure you want to do this?" The option of not saving Tim had never crossed my mind, there was no way I could let him die. "I am certain sir," I said and then hung up just in time to see that I had veered into the wrong lane and was now in the path of an incoming SUV! It layed on its horn as I somehow managed to swerve back into my lane. My heart was beating even faster, if I couldn't save Tim, I was afraid it would burst! The drive seemed to take forever as I struggled to remember where Tim lived. I began to wonder about Justin and Devin, would they be accused of being traitors as well? After all, people had seen me with them. And what would happen to the S.S.C? Would Scythe attack us early for spying on them? I pushed these thought out of my head and finally reached Tim's house... which had a black car parked in front of it... The Fate of Tim- Suddenly, just as I stepped out of my car, a shot rang out, followed by another. No-one lived close enough to come to the rescue and I was all alone now! The mere thought of Tim dying brought me to my knees in the front yard. It was in this silence that I heard the voice of Shadow. "Take him to the location and burry the evidence... no-one can know about this." It was at that moment that I was certain of it, Tim had to be dead. Before I could cry yet again, Shadow and another Scythe member in a ski mask dragged a large sac out from behind the house and threw it into the back of their parked car with such un-caring force. I managed to dive behind a pine tree and watched as the two of them noted my car being there. "Who's is this?" Shadow said, frustrated. No-one offered a reply and Shadow then pulled out a knife and slit my tires. "Go," he said and the driver fled with the man I had only met this morning, but a man whom had such a great effect on my life... gone... just like that he was gone.